'Global Collaboration,
Nuclear Renaissance'

The 23rd KAIF/KNS Annual Conference handles issues and latest technology on nuclear power

Scores of international and Korean authorities on nuclear power got together in Seoul on April 16-18 to discuss issues on nuclear power under the theme "Global Collaboration and the Nuclear Renaissance."The 23rd Korea Atomic Industrial Forum/ Korean Nuclear Society (KAIF/KNS) Annual Conference, held at the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel, was organized by the Korea Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc. (KAIF) and Korean Nuclear Society.
Lee Won-gul, chairman-CEO of KEPCO and concurrently chairman of the organizing committee of the conference, gave an opening speech, Cho Nam-zin, president of the Korean Nuclear Society and concurrent co-chairman of the organizing committee of the conference, delivered a welcoming speech and Park Jong-koo, second vice minister of the Ministry of Education, Science & Technology during an opening session. The conference was chaired by Kang Chang-sun, chairman of the conference's Technical Program Committee and professor of Seoul National University. Prof. Kang will be inaugurated as the next president of the Pacific Nuclear Council (PNC).
The key-note speakers of the conference were Yang Myung-seung, president of Korea Atomic Research Institute (KARI), about the topic "current Staus and Prospects of R& D Program in Korea,": Donald C. Hintz, president of the American Nuclear Society, "current Status and Future Prospects of Nuclear Industry in the United States"; Shreyans Kumar Jain, chairman & managing director of Nuclear Power Cooperation of India Limited, India and concurrently chairman of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO), "Profile of Nuclear Power, Its Future Prospects in India and the Role of WANO's Ichiro Takekuro, executive vice president of the Tokyo Electric Power Co., "Enhancing Seismic Safety and Emergency Preparedness in light of the Niigataken Chuetsu-oki Earthquake," Yang Changli, vice president of China National Nuclear Cooperation, "Status and Prospect of Nuclear Energy Development in China's Olivier Caron, senior executive vice president of CEA in France, "Current Status and Future Prospects of Nuclear Industry in France,"and Clarence J. Hardy, president of PNC, "The Roles and Activities of the Pacific Nuclear Council."In his key-note speech, KAERI President Yang said such pending issues as global warming and scarcity of natural resources have prompted nations to opt for nuclear power as an environment-friendly and stable supply of energy, heralding the arrival of the "nuclear power renaissance,"and Korea, with poor resources, will have to aggressively implement R&D projects on the development of nuclear power in accordance with global trends of developing new nuclear power systems.
"In Korea, nuclear technology will continue to play a key role for its energy security and environmental conservation in the future. Now is the turning point for upgrading the nuclear R&D area in Korea, if we can devote ourselves to the established research programs. With our vision for and our wisdom to use it property, nuclear energy will play a key role in solving human crises such as global warming, energy shortage, etc,"he noted.
In his key-note speech, Jain said, "Much of the success in the world can be attributed to cooperation between the various utilities through the World Association of Nuclear Operators. This organization was formed at a time when the incidents at Chernobyl and Thee Mile Island raised doubts in people's mind about the viability of nuclear energy. Today the performance with regard to reliability and safety of nuclear plants speak for themselves."Yang said in his key-note speech, "Currently and for quite a long period in the future, China is and will be the largest nuclear power construction market in the world. Now various world nuclear power vendors and materials and equipment suppliers have taken an active part in China's nuclear power construction." "Advancement of peaceful uses of nuclear energy in China is earnestly wanted by the Chinese nuclear industry, and also provides a platform to show the technical level and strength of nuclear-related corporations worldwide,"he added.
The speakers of the Plenary Panel Session: Global Collaboration and Nuclear Renaissance, chaired by Prof. Kim Myung-hyun of Kyunghee University, were Kim Tae-woo, executive vice president of Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co, who spoke about the topic "The current Status of Korea's Nuclear Power Plant Industry and the Need for International Cooperation," Remy Autebert, senior executive vice president of AREVA, France, "Bracing Up for a Global Nuclear Renaissance," J. Scott Peterson, vice president of the Nuclear Energy Institute, the United States, "Reasoned Expectations for New Nuclear Plant Construction in the United States's and Takeo Shimizu, senior fellow of Toshiba Corporation, "Toshiba and Westinghouse: The Nuclear Renaissance."The speakers of Session 1: Nuclear Industry Policy included Min Byung-joo, of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, who spoke about "The Prospects of Korean HRD in Nuclear Technologies'and Stratis Vomvoris, of NAGRA, Switzerland, "Nuclear Energy in Switzerland Status and Outlook."The speakers of Session 2: Design, Engineering, and Construction of Nuclear Power Plants included Patrick Baudin, of AREVA NP, France, "Reactor Coolant Pump Motors Manufacturing Capability and References,"and Mun Tae-youp, of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., "Liquid Radioactive Waste Processing System in OPR-1000"The speakers of Session 3: Technology for Utilization of Radiation included Kang Si-yong, of Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, who spoke about "Recent Trends on Crop Genetic Improvement Using Mutation Techniques"and Han Bum-soo, Kim Jin-kyu, Kim Yu-ri, and Kim Sung-hyun, all from EB-TECH Co., Korea/Andrzej G. Chmielewski, of the Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, Poland, who spoke about the topic "Recent Development of Electron Beam Flue Gas Treatment."The speakers of Session 4: Nuclear Fuel Cycle included Jurgen Krellmann, of AREVA, France, who spoke about "AREVA Recyling Experience and Perspectives: An Economical Solution that Also Promotes More Energy Independence"and Lee Han-soo, Kim Eung-ho, Park Seong-won, all of Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, who spoke about "Pyprocessing Technology at KAERI."The speakers of Session 5: Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants included Lee Byung-sik, of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., who spoke about "Strategy and Staltus of KHNP Equipment Reliability Process Implementation,: and Ivan Sarnmark, Herbert Lenz, of WesByne TRC AB, Sweden, who spoke about "Lightweight Submersed 'Walking'NDE Manipulators for PWR and BWR Vessel Weld Inspection"and Kim Nam-kyun and Na Jong-il, all of Korea Plant Service & Engineering Co. "Reactor Lower Head Penetration Co2 Cleaning Robot."The speakers of Session 6: Nuclear Safety and Regulation included Bruce W. Bevilac qua, of Westinghouse Electric Company, "Westinghouse AP 1000 Passive Safety"and Shim Sang, of Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, "Licensing of New NPPs in Canada: Process and Basis."The speakers of Session 7: Enhanced Future Application of Nuclear Science and Technology included Kune Y. Suh, of Seoul National University, and Choul W. Yeon, of PHILOSOPHIA, Inc., Korea, who spoke about "ESSE: Engineering Super Simulation Emulation for Virtual Reality System's and Hong Bong-guen, of Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, "Status of Development of Fusion Nuclear Technology in Korea."The speakers of Session 8: Radioactive Waste Management included Hans Issler, of NAGRA, Switzerland, "Radioactive Waste Management - Finding A Long-Term Solution"and Hangnus Holmqvist, of SKB International Consultants AB in Sweden, who spoke about "Swedish Nuclear Waste Management from Theory to Practice."The 2008 Seoul Nuclear Industry Exhibition, held at the Seoul Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel on April 16-18, was a side event of the KAIF/ANS Annual Conference.
Exhibitors included Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Korea Power Engineering Co. (KOPEC), KAERI, Koreas Plant Service & Engineering Co. (KPS), Korea Nuclear Fuel Co. (KNF), Westinghouse Electric Company, AREVA, Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Co., and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co.
Spectators were given a good opportunity to get the information on the new technology and science in the world nuclear power industry as the exhibition highlighted a total system, including mechanical, electrical, architectural, physical, chemical and instrumental works related to the nuclear industry. nw

The 23rd Korea Atomic Industrial Forum/ Korean Nuclear Society (KAIF/KNS) Annual Conference gets under way at the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Hotel with renowned authorities on nuclear power participating.